One general objective of proposed research is to evaluate some aspects of the acoustic speech signal which are relevant for the perception of continuous speech. In the basic experimental paradigm, reaction time is observed as listeners monitor phonemes or other "targets" in tape-recorded continuous utterances. The paradigm is a useful way of tapping into the perceptual process at any point in time during ongoing listening. Systematic investigations include (a) study of the perceptual consequences of coarticulation and (b) study of a variety of factors affecting the temporal course of continuous speech perception. A second objective of proposed work is to investigate a novel approach in which visual text is presented dynamically, in "visual rhythm". The major goal is to facilitate learning to read, by both deaf and hearing children.